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LWB
The LWB, or Landwirtrechtbewegung (farmers' rights movment), is believed to be engaged in attacks on Synth Foods operations and sympathetic government officials in retaliation for Rheinland concessions to the Liberty Food conglomerate. History Stuttgart has been the breadbasket of Rheinland since 100 years after settlement. Over time, its farmers formed a powerful union, named the WVS. The organization successfully lobbied the Rheinland government to subsidize Stuttgart agriculture for hundreds of years. With the end of the 80-Years War in 680 AS, however, the subsidies were no longer tenable. In a secret deal during the war, the Rheinland government borrowed huge sums from Liberty. Facing default on their loans, they were forced to offer something to House Liberty. Synth Foods wanted complete access to Stuttgart, which Rheinland granted in exchange for renegotiated debt repayment terms. Immediately the Liberty Food giant moved in, buying out huge numbers of nearly bankrupt Stuttgart farmers. Much of Stuttgart was converted into vast expanses of the bio-engineered mono-crops of Synth Foods. The government backed the foreign company wholeheartedly and looked the other way as Synth Foods used unscrupulous business practices to further consolidate its control over Stuttgart. Remaining independent farmers were forced to buy all of their Fertilizers and seeds from Synth Foods and sell all of their production to them at low fixed rates -- prices that were designed to squeeze the maximum out of the farmer and shift all risk away from Synth Foods. The once proud Stuttgart farmers were reduced to indentured servants. Inexorably, Synth Foods assimilated the bulk of the planet’s arable land, dutifully paying its Rheinland federal taxes and feeding the bribe machine in New Berlin. The WVS tried to fight back legally in the courts but soon discovered that their influence had been sold to a higher bidder. Finally, in what some called an act of desperation, the more radical elements of the WVS left Stuttgart and founded the Landwirtrechtbewegung -- farmers rights movement -- simply referred to as the LWB. LWB built a small depot called Darmstadt within the Ostnebel. This serves as a base for operations targeted at Synth Foods convoys within Rheinland space. The Red Hessians also use it as way station along their route to Omega-11. The “war” has been going on for 25 years now, and both sides claim to be winning -- although Synth Foods now controls 90 percent of the planet’s agriculture vs. 60 percent just three decades ago. Bases Under Control Darmstadt Depot, Stuttgart (Headquarters) Faction Standings *ALLIES: **Red Hessians *ENEMIES **Synth Foods **Rheinland Police **Rheinland Military **Bounty Hunters **Corsairs News KINDRED SPIRITS: DARMSTADT -- There are two groups within Sirius that have never met each other, yet fight for almost the same exact things in different houses. The common link between the groups? Synth Foods. The Farmers Alliance of Kusari and the LWB of Rheinland are both fighting the Liberty corporation desperately, in an attempt to rid their homelands of the ever encroaching food pastes that feed the majority of Sirius. The LWB is particularly interested in ending the Synth occupation of Planet Stuttgart, while the Farmers Alliance is battling for control of the Kusari food markets. SYNTH FOODS SLOWLY GAINING GROUND: STUTTGART -- Though the LWB has been fighting Synth Foods steadily for several decades now, the fight has grown more difficult to protect our homeland from the imperialistic invaders. Soon 80 percent of Stuttgart will be in the hands of Synth, and the climate has already been irrevocably changed. This is not a call for surrender, but a renewal of will against the accursed Liberty corporation. The steps we have been taking to stop the foreign company are not enough; we must intensify pressure to free our lands. FARMERS SINGING THE BLUES: STUTTGART -- Independent farmers on Stuttgart have been sending complaints to New Berlin again. This time it's not about swine or squeloms, but blue jillies. The native Stuttgart flower has had yet another bad growing season. The farmers contend that the culprit is the Synth Foods sponsored CO2 enhancement project that began three decades ago. Synth Foods was not available for comment. WVS REJECTS LWB SYMPATHIZERS: STUTTGART -- A group of sixteen farmers from the Reichmann Plains chapter of the WVS were ejected from the organization after the discovery that they were funneling money to the LWB. WVS representative James Tomlinson said, "We can't have our people supporting terrorists -- it is just unethical." The farmers thrown out of the growing association have made claims that the WVS is under Synth Foods control since the Rheinland government forced out the old board members. MORE LWB ATTACKS: DORTMUND -- The LWB managed to destroy another Paste convoy as it approached the Hamburg Jump Gate yesterday. The terrorists attacked the convoy from the Ruhrfeld, a notorious hiding place for criminals. Synth Foods is demanding that the Rheinland security forces send a ship into the old mining area to eliminate the criminal element within. Rheinland responded in an official release, stating that military and police budgets were stretched to the limit and that all of its forces were already deployed in other areas. 2 KILLED IN FURGEN RANCH BLAST: STUTTGART -- Independent Rheinland beef rancher Karl Furgen, who was supposedly killed several months ago, might still be alive. Synth Foods employees say that they recognized him as he was boarding an escape vessel after trespassing on his property, which Synth Foods recently seized. Moments after his ship took off, a bomb ripped through the center of the ranch's main buildings. Two Synth Foods employees were killed in the blast, and three more have been hospitalized. BEEF FARM KNOCKED OUT: STUTTGART -- A Luxury Foods farm was put out of commission by an LWB operative's bomb that exploded near the main generator. Some Synth Foods employees were killed in the blast, many others wounded. The bomber was none other than Karl Furgen, the previous owner of the plantation, who faked his own death to join the LWB when he realized that he would soon be bought out by the Liberty corporation. Furgen was able to escape and is currently planning his next attack in Darmstadt. A CENTURY OF STRIFE: DARMSTADT -- LWB leaders are planning a massive strike on Synth Food operations next week on the one hundredth anniversary of the Liberty company's invasion of Stuttgart. The details of the plan have not yet been released, but LWB veterans have been warned to be available for a large-scale operation. This plan only includes members of the LWB whose family had land taken from them by Synth Foods, since the risk factor is rumored to be very high. Next week will be one of great importance for our small band of freedom fighters. SYNTH FOODS CONVOYS COLLIDE: STUTTGART -- In its most daring attack to date, the LWB attacked two Synth Foods convoys traveling in opposite directions along the Trade Lanes between the New Berlin Jump Gate and Planet Stuttgart. "Next thing you know we've got four inbound missiles headed right for us," said one of the transport gunners, Karl Gruber. Both ships dropped out of the Lanes to find themselves surrounded by the largest LWB force yet assembled. The momentum of the fast-moving transports in the Trade Lanes caused several ships to collide before thye could undertake evasive maneuvers. This is a well-known Hessian tactic that the LWB have apparently adopted. Rumors "The cursed LWB has teamed up with the Hessians. They must have pleaded their cause to repel the foreign invader or something. Now we have a much better-armed adversary to contend with. Los Angeles never thought it would escalate to this." - Synth Foods Rep Gordon Epps, Bonn Station "The LWB was getting a lot of flak from the Rheinland public for attacking their food supply. So now they've switched to Fertilizers. They figure if our costs get high enough, we'll have to reconsider the current assimilation strategy of Stuttgart. They may have a point." - Synth Foods Rep Gordon Epps, Bonn Station "Stuttgart may prove to be the undoing of Synth Foods. Nobody imagined the ferocity with which the LWB would strike back. Nor did we realize how challenging the criminal situation was in Rheinland. Our Fertilizer ships have to be specially armed just to survive the trip from Houston to Bonn. Escorts are required on all runs to and from Stuttgart." - Synth Foods Rep Gordon Epps, Bonn Station Category:Factions Category:Rheinland Factions Category:Criminal Factions Category:Criminals